Ib
by BakaNekoItaly
Summary: When Kiku finds himself trapped in an alternate universe of a gallery, he must do everything he can to get out. Along the way he meets Alfred and Feliciano and they come along to get out as well. But the question is, will they all get out together?
1. Chapter 1

_In the early afternoon, under a gray sky..._

_Kiku and his parents were on their way to an art gallery..._

_"Did you remember everything, Kiku? Oh! Do you have your handkerchief? You know, the one you got for your birthday? Keep it safe in your pocket, okay? Don't lose it!"_

...

Kiku and his parents walked into the gallery. Kiku was a few steps ahead of them and he stopped when he heard Yao talking to him.

"Well, we're here. This is your first time in an art gallery, right, Kiku? We're here today to see an exhibition of works by an artist named Romulus. And they don't just have paintings, but also sculptures and all kinds of other creations! I don't doubt that even you'll enjoy it, Kiku."

"Should we get to the reception desk?" Ivan asked and Yao turned to him.

"Ah, yes. Let's get some pamphlets as well."

They walked to the receptionist's desk and started to talk to the man behind the counter. Kiku looked around before pulling on Yao's sleeve.

"Yao, may I go ahead and look around?"

"Hm? You want to go on ahead? Really, Kiku... Oh, all right. Just make sure you're quiet in the gallery, okay? Don't make a ruckus! Not that there's any need to worry about you, I suppose... Don't cause the other visitors any trouble, now!"

"I won't," Kiku said, before walking away from the receptionist's desk. He went down the hall first, seeing a huge display of a fish in the ocean. He went to the plaque and it said... Well all he could read was 'of the Deep' he didn't know what the first word was. He walked around and looked at other paintings and sculptures before heading upstairs. He walked around and came across a huge painting. He looked at the name.

_? World_

"I wish I could read more words," Kiku said. Then the lights flickered and he looked up, "Hm?"

He went to find his parents and found it odd that he didn't pass anyone else. He went downstairs and the lights cut off. He continued to walk around, seeing no one was around. He walked past a painting of a man and heard a cough behind him. He turned to see who it was, but didn't see anyone.

He went back upstairs and saw someone walk past the window. He walked over and tried to open it but somebody pounded on it. He walked away from the window and continued to look for someone. He jumped when he passed the painting of a cat and heard it meow. He went back to the painting he was standing at before.

He saw a blue liquid leaking from behind the frame, so he walked over and tried to rub it off. He heard the sound of footsteps behind him, but when he turned around, nobody was there. Instead there were some letters in a row.

_COME KIKU_

He turned back to the blue liquid and saw that most of it was gone and that the wall now had words on it as well.

_come below kiku, ill show you someplace secret_

He walked downstairs and saw that the big picture from before had an opening to the display and there were two footprints leading into it. He walked over and looked into it. He tried to walk into it, but he sunk into the water and found himself on some steps.

He went left first and as he walked, he saw "COME" written all over the wall. He saw a table in front of a door that had a vase with a red rose in it. He walked over and took the rose. Then he pushed the table out of the way and walked into the room. He saw a painting of a blue haired woman and a key on the ground. He grabbed the key and the woman's face changed. Her eyes were now opened and her mouth turned upward into a cruel smile and her tongue was hanging out. He read the plaque.

_When the rose ?'s, so too will you ? away._

He just shook his head and walked out. Instead of "COME" the wall now read "THIEF." He began to walk to the other end of the hall, soon finding the door the key went too. He used the key and headed into the room.


	2. Chapter 2

The room was green that had a podium with a sign and random bug paintings along the wall. Kiku went down the hall, just looking at paintings. He soon came to a door and he walked in. The room was small and had a huge hole in the middle of the floor. He walked back out and went back the way he came. He walked over to the sign he had seen earlier and read it.

_Beware the edges_

He was confused but he walked behind the podium before walk down the hall. He had only walked 2 steps when a hand shot out from the wall with a growl and tried to grab him. He continued to walk and three more hand came out the walls beside him and one came out of the wall in front of him. He walked to the door, but it was locked. He looked around and saw an ant painting on the wall and noticed it could be taken down.

"Maybe I can use it to get across that hole," he said softly before he took it down. He went back down, avoiding the hands as he did and walked back to the room. He set the painting down and crossed it, noticing the ant on the painting now looked smashed and looked like it was bleeding. He ignored it and walked out the other door. There was a green key on the floor in front of a headless statue. He picked the key up and the statue took a step toward him. He backed away and ran when the statue started to chase him. He ran over the painting, leaving a large hole in it, and ran out the door. He heard the sound of glass breaking, but he refused to walk back in there. He went back to the door from earlier and used the key to unlock it.

He was now in a room that had a hole the size of a fish on the wall and two cat eyes. It also split up in two different directions, left and right. He went right first and found himself in a room with a bunch of different podiums with curtains on them and a button beneath those curtains. There was also a painting of a fish that was cut in half. There was drawn stick man on the podium closest to him, so he walked over to it. That's when some words appeared on the podium.

_Play hide and seek?_

Suddenly the man on the podium was gone so Kiku went and looked for him. He guessed he was on one of the other podiums. He walked to the third podium from the right on the bottom row and pushed the button. The curtain lifted up, revealing the man. Then some words appeared on the podium.

_Found me, you get a prize._

He heard something hit the floor and he looked around. He saw a wooden fish head lying on the floor in front of the painting. He walked over and picked it up before leaving and going into the other room. In this room were a bunch of statues. Headless statues, statues with heads and giant statues of heads. Kiku walked over the vase and put the rose in it and it grew two more petals suddenly, now having five petals instead of three. He looked around some boxes and noticed on of the head statues moving toward him. He watched it move closer and closer until it finally fell over and broke. He saw a wooden fish tail and he picked it up and combined it with the fish head.

He walked out and put the fish into the the hole, cringing when he heard a loud meow. The place where the fish hole was opened into a narrow hallway and he walked down it. He came into a place that split into three different directions. He went left first to look at the white painting when the painting of the face with wiggling tongue spat something at him, making him flinch. Surprisingly it had hurt and he noticed a petal fell of his rose and his eyes widened.

"Why did a petal fall of when I got hurt...?" Kiku shook his head and walked over to the white painting. He noticed a red dot on it and he squinted his eyes at it, noticing it said 9. He walked to the right and saw some words on the wall.

_BEWARE OF LIPS_

He walked to the end of the hall and saw lips on the wall. Deciding to believe the warning, he walked back and went forward. He walked down the middle and jumped when a hand shot out of the wall like before. He looked at the dolls hanging from the ceiling on the left before heading for the door on the right. There was writing on the wall beside the door.

_The Liars' Room_

He stared at it for a few moment before he walked in. There was another door and three paintings of people on each side of the door, each one wearing a different color: Green, orange, yellow, blue, white, and red . He started to read them, starting with the one wearing green on the far left.

_Stand in front of the statue, go west 3 steps, then south 1 step. That's the answer!_

_Stand in front of the statue, go east 4 steps, then north 2 steps. That's the answer!_

_The one in white speaks the truth!_

_The only truth-speaker wears green!_

_Stand in front of the statue, go east 2 steps, then south 2 steps. That's the answer!_

_I agree with the one in yellow!_

He noticed none of them said anything about the one wearing orange, so he believed that one. He walked into the room, and went and stood in front of the statue. He walked four steps to the right, and up to steps. He noticed the tile under his foot was loose so he pulled it up. On the back was a number written in purple, the number 4. Then he heard the sound of cutting and a crash and he ran out.

The painting of the one wearing orange was all cut up and the others had blood splattered all over them. The word under each painting had changed to say the same thing, all of it directed at the one wearing orange.

_Liar!_

He turned away and ran out of the room. He went left this time, when one of the dolls fell from the roof. He walked over and it had a green number on it's shirt, this one being the number 18. He saw the door and walked over, seeing it was password locked. It had an equation on it.

_X x X + X = ?_

The first X was green, the second was red, and the third was purple. So the equation was 18 x 9 + 4, which the answer was 166. So he entered it in and the door unlocked. He walked in and saw an apple on a tree. He took it and walked out. He walked down to the lips, ignoring the other hand that shot out of the wall.

"Hungry... Give food... That food... Give to me..."

He gave the apple to the lips and the lips ate it.

"This tasty... I let you pass now... Go through my mouth..."

The mouth opened wide and he crawled through. Kiku walked down the hall, noticing the paintings on the wall were showing a sequence of a huge knife being lifted. He stopped and looked at the last one, jumping when a huge knife hit the ground, making it shake and leaving a huge crack. He waited until it lifted up before heading down the stairs. He walked down the hall and passed a painting of a bird. He saw a red door and took a deep breath before walking through.


	3. Chapter 3

The room was filled with a few paintings and two huge statues, one blue and one red. Kiku walked behind the podium and saw a door. He walked over and tried to open it, but it was locked. He walked past the red statue and up to a painting of a brown haired woman with red eyes and wearing a red dress.

_The Lady in Red_

"True to its name I suppose," he said as he walked away from the painting. He heard a crash and a growl and when he turned around the painting was now on the ground and the woman was after him, dragging the frame behind her. There was also a red key on the ground. He ran from her around the statue. She followed him and he quickly went and got the key. Kiku then ran for the door and unlocked it before walking in. He closed the door and backed away from the door when someone, he was guessing the painting, banged on the door.

He was in a room with four bookshelves, two on either side of the door. He walked over to the door but of course, it was locked. So he looked around on the bookshelves and found one particular one.

_Moving Storybook Written/Drawn by XXXX_

_-Carrie Careless and the Galette des Rois-_

"...It's a storybook drawn in crayon..." he said before he shook his head and put the book back. He then noticed one of the other books was jutting out and he pushed it in. Then he heard the door unlock so he walked over and left the room. Outside that room was a hall that went left and right and across from him was a vase. He walked over and put his rose in it, smiling when the petal he had lost earlier regenerated. He took the rose out and decided to go left first. He saw a man with blonde hair lying on the floor so he walked over to him and kneeled down beside him. The man groaned and Kiku saw he was holding a key so he took it. Then he got up and went the other direction.

In the other room, was a vase with no water, a door that led into another room. Past the door was a window, a sign and blue petal roses scattered across the floor. Kiku walked the sign and read it.

_The Lady in Blue_

"I wonder where she is," he said as he walked through the door. He walked through the space between the walls and he found The Lady in Blue, eating a blue rose. She looked over at Kiku and he looked back at her. They stayed like this until Kiku stepped forward. Then The Lady in Blue growled and crawled after him, much faster than The Lady in Red. He ran out the room and something banged on the window before The Lady of Blue broke through the window. Remembering the blue rose, he ran back in the room and walked over to the rose. It only had a few petals left, so Kiku picked it up carefully and walked out the room. He quickly ran from The Lady in Blue and he walked over to the vase. He placed the blue rose in it and watched all the petals regenerate before taking it out. Then he walked back to the blonde man and kneeled down.

"Sir...? Is this your rose?" Kiku asked and the man stirred.

"Mmm..." he lifte himself up a little bit. "What's this? The pain's gone... Ah? Eeek!"

He stood quickly and backed away from Kiku, "What is it NOW?! T-There's nothing left for you to take, I tell you!"

Kiku just stared at him and the man calmed down enough to take a good look at him.

"Wait... Dear me, could you be... Some from the gallery...?" Kiku nodded and the blonde took a step forward. "So you are! Oh, thank heavens! There's someone here besides me!"

Kiku nodded and he explained to him what had happened.

"So I see... You don't have any clue how things got to this point, either. It would seem we wound up in very similar situations, I have to say..." He looked at his rose. "Even down to these roses. Wounds appear on me when my rose loses its petals... I thought I was a goner there... Thank you for getting it back."

"You're welcome," Kiku said, smiling at him. The blonde smiled back.

"Now, first things first. We'd better find a way out. I think I'll go mad if I stay in this dreadful place for too long... Ah, I still haven't asked your name. My, that was rude of me! Well, my name's Alfred. And you are?"

"My name is Kiku."

"Kiku... Kiku, you say. I can't very well leave a young child to wander into danger, no, no... So I'll go with you! Okay? Now, let's go, Kiku!"

"Okay," Kiku said following Alfred as he began to walk away. He walked past another painting of a face with wiggling tongue and like the first one, it spat something at Alfred, causing him to jump back.

"HYEEEEK!" Kiku giggled and stepped forward and Alfred got up.

"I... I was just a bit startled! R-Really, that's all it was! Anyway... Let's keep going, and watch out for such bizarre things as that!"

They continued to walk and soon came upon a headless statue. It was blocking the door.

"What a lousy place for this thing... Step back a tad, would you, Kiku?" Alfred said and Kiku took a step back. Alfred then walked the side and pushed the statue out of the way. "Ta-dah! Now we can proceed. All right, let's go!"

Kiku nodded and followed Alfred as he went through the door and to their next challenge.


	4. Chapter 4

They came into a small room that had a painting on both sides of the wall and two hands. On the left side was a bride and on the right side was a groom. Kiku looked at Alfred and he just shrugged before continuing down the hallway.

The next room they came into was bigger. It had a small room on the left side and a wide hallway leading forward. The right side only had a painting on the wall and a table. Kiku went for the door and noticed a hall way on the other side. He walked over and a bunch of eyes opened up.

"Yaaaah! What is THAT!? Gross is what! Why are there eyes on the floor?" Alfred said and Kiku saw an irritated looking eye. He walked over to it.

"Does this lone eye have a congestion problem?" Alfred asked and Kiku shrugged. He walked ahead and saw four paintings on the wall. The biggest one was one of a white snake and there was a hole where it's eye should be. They walked down and saw another door and a hallway leading upward. They went that way and found a blue and black painting of a face. Kiku walked back and he walked in the room that was beside the eyes. It was a maze and there was a sign in front of him.

_Labyrinth_

Kiku walked all the way to the right and turned the corner, jumping when he saw a headless statue. Alfred quickly pulled him up and they found a canvas with a note on it.

_Check directly south from the red paint._

"So... We need to find the red paint," Alfred murmured before walking off. They wandered around the maze a little more before finding another note, this one attached to the wall.

_There's a trick to solving mazes..._

_Hug the right hand side and you'll reach the end eventually._

"Not a bad trick... But that doesn't help the ceiling being far too low for comfort. Not to mention those weird things loitering around... Gives me the creeps. Be careful not to get trapped between them, okay, Kiku?"

"Okay," he said as he walked away from the note. They soon found the paint and they walked south from it, finding a switch. They pressed it and there was a sound outside the room.

They walked out and now saw the wall beside the painting had crumbled away, revealing a door. Ignoring that door for now, they walked back to the other door they had seen before, which was a room full of chair and canvases. There was a table in the middle of the room that had a bottle of eye drops on it. Kiku moved the chairs around and he picked up the eye drops. He then walked back over the Alfred and they left the room. They went back to where the eyes were and the congested eye looked at Kiku. He kneeled down and put a few drops in the eye. The congestion was cured and the eye closed before moving away.

Kiku followed it and saw it stare intently at the wall. It closed and Kiku stepped over it and noticed the was was a different color. He touched it and the wall crombled. He walked in and saw a red orb. He walked over and picked it up.

"I bet it goes into the hole on the snake painting," he said and Alfred nodded.

"That makes sense. Let's go put it in," he said as he walked out and Kiku followed him. They put the orb in and the painting on right side fell down. It had writing on the back of it.

_Behind the big tree..._

"The big tree?" Kiku asked and Alfred shrugged.

"Maybe it's in the room we opened up. Come on."

They went to the room and it had four statues, including one of a tree. They walked over and looked behind it, finding a silver ring.

"Isn't this... A wedding ring? Now what would this be doing here?" Alfred asked.

"Maybe we should go put it on one of the hands we saw earlier," Kiku suggested and Alfred nodded before walking out. The went back to the hands and put the ring on the bride's ring finger on her left hand. The painting of the bride and the groom changed so they were smiling and the bride threw her bouquet into the air. It landed beside Kiku so he picked it up. They walked back to the painting they saw before.

"I wonder what we need to do here..." Alfred said and Kiku shrugged.

"Flowers... Flowers are nice," The painting said. "Give me that there flower and I'll let you through... ehehe... Your flower, pretty please?"

Kiku gave him the bouquet and the panting ate them.

"Ahhh, that was good... Thank you, thanks so much. As promised, you can go through. Just take this door in... Well, see ya..."

The painting then changed into a door. They walked through and found themselves in a narrow hall. The walked through until they found another door and they enter the next room. They came into a long hallway that had mannequin heads lining both sides of the wall and it had three large paintings on the wall. They paid no mind to it as they continued on their way.

The room they entered was bigger than the last one. It was a large mazelike room full of paintings of women and a couple headless statues. There was also five doors. They stopped at two that were next to each other, with the exception of a table being place in between them. The door on the right asked how many paintings of women were in the room. They walked around and counted 14, so they went back and put 14 in. The door unlocked and they walked in.

The only thing in the room was a vase. They heard a crash outside so they walked back out. One of The Lady in Red paintings had fallen and she was now crawling around. The door beside the door they had went in before had a password so the walked around to find some clues. Near the east wall, there was a different painting hanging near the paintings of the women, called The Hanged Man.

"Ah. This was one of the paintings in the gallery," Alfred said and Kiku nodded. They examined it until they found a 4-digit number 5629.

"5629... Could this be the password?" Alfred wondered aloud.

"But the man is upside down. Wouldn't it be 6295?" Kiku asked and Alfred shrugged.

"Maybe. Let's go put both of them in and see which one works."

The walked back to the door and put in 5629. When nothing happened, Alfred put 6295 in and the door unlocked. They went inside and saw a table with an empty vase and an easel with a chair.

"What should we do here?" Alfred asked and Kiku went over to the table. He pushed it over until it was the right distance from the easel. They heard a noise from outside the room and they walked noticed the mannequin head beside the table.

"Was this thing here earlier? I don't think it was..." Alfred said. They went to the door near the northeast corner of the room. They walked in and heard a crash outside. They examined the mirror and then tried to leave, but were blocked by yet another mannequin head.

"What the... When did this get into the room...?" Alfred said. They went back to the mirror except this time when they looked it had the mannequin head behind both stepped away quickly and Alfred fell back.

"W-What is that!?" he got up and stepped toward the mannequin head. "Why, you!"

Alfred was about the kick the mannequin but Kiku ran over and grabbed his sleeve, "Alfred, stop. It's only a mannequin head."

Alfred looked and Kiku and sighed, "R-Right, Kiku. My, that was immature of me... Well, let's go."

They left the room and went to the south corridor of the east side of the room. The Lady in Green was now alive and there was a key near her. They led her away and got the key. The Lady in Red painting then fell down and Alfred grabbed Kiku's hand. They ran and then went into the room near the south corridor.

The room had a large painting, a couch and a few bookshelves. They walked over to a half empty one.

"Ah. It seems this can be moved," Alfred said.

"Move it to the right," Kiku said and Alfred nodded.

"Alright, step back Kiku," Alfred said. Kiku took a step back and Alfred moved it so that it covered the window. Then they went and examined the painting. Kiku's eyes widened when he recognized the people in the painting.

"What is it, Kiku? "Alfred asked when he noticed Kiku had tensed up.

"T-The people in this painting... It's my parents!"

"Huh!? The people in this painting are your parents?" he looked back at the painting. "Aha... They do resemble you a bit, Kiku... But why would such a painting be down here?"

"Where are they...?" Kiku asked, looking up at Alfred with scared eyes.

"Ah? Where are they? Hm... Well, I can't say that I know either. D-Don't worry. They must be somewhere!" Alfred said and Kiku just nodded before staring at the painting.

_I thought he was a tough kid, but this is even getting to him_, Alfred thought. He grabbed Kiku's hand and walked to the door, but it wouldn't open.

"Are you kidding me? The door was wide open..." Alfred grumbled. They heard a knocked and stepped back quickly. "T-That sound... Is that coming from outside?"

The knocking sounded again. "Something's at the door... Be careful, Kiku."

They hear loud bangs and crashes around the walls. Soon, a painting made a hole in the north wall. Kiku and Alfred lured the painting away and went through the hole.

The room was swarming with moving paintings and statues. They ran to the door in the mazelike area on the west side of the room and noticed it was opened. They ran through and ran a little way down the hallway before stopping.

"That should be... Far enough... I think," Alfred panted, clearly out of breath from running. "We certainly showed them!"

Kiku got dizzy and he sunk down to his knees and closed his eyes.

"My... Well then... Let's keep go... Kiku?" Alfred walked over and kneeled down. "What is it? Are you okay?"

Kiku fell forward and he heard Alfred speaking up again.

"Kiku!? Stay with me, now! Kiku! KIKU!" Kiku heard Alfred screaming before he finally blacked out.


	5. Chapter 5

Kiku was running through various of rooms, running from something unknown. He heard banging as he went from room to room, some doors being harder to open than others. He finally walked into a room with a mannequin head, a blue headless statue and a Lady of Red painting. The stepped closer to him and he back up. He tried to open the door but it wouldn't open. They moved closer and closer until...

Kiku say up quickly with a loud gasp, finding himself in a room with a few bookshelves and a painting. The was also a table with a vase on it and he noticed he was covered up with Alfred's coat.

"Ah?" He looked over as Alfred walked over to him and he kneeled down.

"Morning, Kiku. How are you feeling?"

"Oh... I had a nightmare," Kiku said and Alfred's expression changed to one of worry.

"I see... You poor thing... I can't say I'm surprised... Being exposed by such frightful sights, you know? I guess it's good you woke up. I'm sorry I didn't notice earlier," Alfred said.

"I-It's fine..." Kiku said and they both fell silent.

"Kiku, would you take a look in the pocket of that coat?" Alfred asked and Kiku did. He pulled out a piece of candy wrapped in yellow paper.

"You can have that. Feel free to eat it," Alfred said before standing up, "Let's rest here a while longer before we set out again."

Alfred walked back to the bookshelves and Kiku stood up. He picked up Alfred's coat and walked over to Alfred. He held it up to him and Alfred looked at him.

"Oh, my coat. Thanks, Kiku." Alfred said as he took it and put it back on.

"Why is your coat torn like that, Alfred?"

"Hm? No, no, that's on purpose! That's just the design! Though to be sure, I have been wearing it for many years now as well..."

Kiku nodded and when Alfred turned back to the book case, Kiku tugged on his sleeve. "Hm? What is it?"

"I'm sorry for troubling you," Kiku said and Alfred frowned.

"Why apologize for that? You didn't do anything wrong! I mean, no one could have predicted that things would end up like this. Come on, be cheery! It's a disservice to your cute face to do anything else." he said and Kiku nodded. Alfred stayed quiet for a moment.

"Say, Kiku... You've got a pretty good fashion sense, huh? I mean, your clothes... They use some fine-quality cloth, don't they?"

"Hm? No, Yao picks them out for me," Kiku said.

"Yao picks them out for you? Well, I don't believe that changes the fact you have good fashion," Alfred said before falling silent again.

"This place... It must be connected to the art gallery, don't you think? I wonder where everyone else in the gallery went... For all we know, there might be others lost in this place. If there are, I hope we can find each other," Alfred said and Kiku nodded.

"I'm sure we will."

"Kiku, do you remember how you got here from the gallery? I'm having trouble remembering. I was about to leave, but then I looked around and didn't see a soul. I panicked when I saw the entrance locked, but found stairs where there had been a wall. Then I was in a red passageway... I'm sure you know the rest."

"Yea, my experience was the same basically," Kiku said. Alfred looked at him.

"Kiku, how old are you?" he asked.

"I'm nine," Kiku said and Alfred smiled.

"Nine? Wow, that's quite young. But art galleries are really enthralling at you age. I'm a bit bored of them myself."

Kiku just shrugged and walked to the door.

"Are you ready to set out again?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

"Okay! Let's get going, then!"

They left the room and went down stairs. They passed a door and heard a knock. Kiku walked over and looked through the peep hole, but he didn't see anything. He looked at Alfred, but he just shrugged. They continued on their way. They passed a rope maze and walked up, passing painting of a white puzzle, called Milk Puzzle.

"Kiku, have you heard of milk puzzles?" Alfred asked and Kiku shook his head.

"No, I haven't."

"Well, as the name implies, it's a puzzle where all the pieces are white like milk. Since there's no picture on them, they're much harder than regular puzzles. Very smart people can finish them in no time at all, but... To be honest, they're not exciting, since they don't even make a picture in the end. It feels much more worth it to do a puzzle of a picture you like."

Kiku smiled and nodded before he continued to walk. The soon found a mirror and two doors. Kiku walked to one door, but it was locked.

"What's the story with this panel here...? Can we put something in? I'm not getting any ideas. Let's look around some more."

They went through the other door and came into a small room with a pull lever and a statue blocking the way out.

"Sheesh, this statue. It's blocking the way," Alfred said as he moved it over. "Okay, that should do it!"

Kiku walked over to the lever and pulled it. They walked out the door and realized they went in a circle. Kiku remembered the light bulb from earlier and ran down to it, seeing some text on the wall.

_What is the title of the large floor painting in Romulus's exhibition?_

"Gah... Could it be a password? The big fish painting, right? Did you see it Kiku? But what was it... I think it was... Something of the deep...? It was just one word... Kiku, can you remember it?"

"Ah... It was... It was Abyss of the Deep!"

"Abyss of the Deep... Ah! Yes, that was it, Kiku! 'Abyss of the Deep.' Did you read the title?"

"Yes."

"Okay, let's remember that! Abyss of the Deep!"

They walked back to the door with the password on it.

"Okay, let's try it. Abyss of the Deep..."

The door unlocked and they walked in. The room had three small bookshelves on each side of a huge painting. Kiku walked up to it and read the title.

_Separation._

"What an off-putting painting," Alfred murmured. Suddenly, the lights went off.

"Wh-What? The lights! It's too dark to see! Kiku, are you there?"

"I'm here."

"That's good to hear... Stay right there all right?"

"Okay."

"But, this is a problem. Ah, that's right. I forgot I had a lighter."

He flicked the lighter on and the lights came back on and there were words in the room.

_Help_

_No_

_Don't kick me_

_Stop_

_Don't_

"Huh? What is this!? I don't think this is good for my mental health. Let's get out of here Kiku."

They walked out and back the way toward the milk puzzle. They saw red footprints and they followed them. They led to a door that wasn't there before but they just shrugged and walked through. That's when a boy with brown hair and amber eyes ran into Kiku.

"Ahh!" the boy cried out as he fell back.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Alfred asked and the boy looked at him. He stood up and took a step back.

"Ah, wait! Hey, could you be one of the visitors to the gallery?"

"Ah..." The boy nodded and Alfred smiled.

"As I thought. I'm Alfred and this is Kiku. We were in the art gallery, but then somehow found ourselves lost in this place, so now we're trying to find a way out. Presumably, you're doing the same?" Alfred asked.

"I... I was looking to see if there was anyone else too... I wanted to get out... So I..."

"Ah, I knew it! Well, would you like to come with us? It's dangerous to be alone here. There are lots of strange creatures around. So will you come with us? I think it would be best if we all stay together," Alfred asked and the boy nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! I'll come!"

"Then it's decided! Oh, what'd your name?"

"Feliciano," he replied.

"Feliciano then! Nice to meet you!"

"Yeah! Um... nice to meet you, Kiku."

"Nice to meet you too," Kiku said.

"Teehee. Thanks!"

"All right! Now that we have more company, we can proceed with out spirits high!"

"Yay!"

They continued to walk until Alfred spoke up again.

"Say... Seeing as Kiku and I both have roses... Feliciano, do you have a rose as well?"

"Yeah, I do! A yellow rose," he said, pulling it out and showing him.

"Ah, it's true! You two keep those safe. Don't you dare lose it. And don't give it to anyone. And..."

"Wow, Kiku's rose is red! My rose is yellow! I like yellow, but I also like pink! Oh, and blue!"

"Learn to listen, would you?" Alfred said before walking off. Kiku and Feliciano followed him.


	6. Chapter 6

They went north and reached a set of doors. The right door was locked, so they went to the left one. They were in a room full of pink and white bunnies, with only one green bunny in the room on the right shelf. They examined the huge painting of a pink bunny on the wall, called 'Red Eyes.'

"This painting, this room... Why must it be so unsettling?" Alfred said as he shuddered. Feliciano looked up at him in confusion.

"Huh? Really? I think it's cute..."

"What!? What about this is cute!?" Alfred exclaimed.

"I just think it is. What about you, Kiku?"

"Hm...? Ah, it's cute I suppose," Kiku said and Feliciano smiled.

"I know, right? It's so adorable!"

"Enough of this. Let's just check the room and leave. I feel like I'm being watched in this room... Talk about unsettling."

Kiku walked to the bookshelf on the left and read the boo he found.

_Ruin of the Heart_

_If your spirit suffers too much, you will soon start to hallucinate. And in the end, you will be destroyed. And more worrying yet is that you will not even be conscious of that fact._

Kiku put the book up and the green bunny suddenly jumped off the shelf and broke, startling Kiku and Alfred. Kiku walked over and found a violet key.

"This must go to the other door," Alfred said as he led them out.

When you passed the painting on the wall, they heard a noise. It was coming from the painting and Kiku took a step closer to it.

"That sound... It's getting closer," Feliciano said as the sound got louder until a red flower came out of the frame. They heard a crack and turned around to find vines had broke their way through the floor.

"Something came up from the ground!" Feliciano shrieked. Just then the whole floor shook, like an earthquake.

"This is bad! Get away from the painting!" Alfred shouted.

"Kiku! Watch out!" Feliciano said as he quickly pulled Kiku out of the way, vines breaking their way from the ground just mere seconds later. Now they were separated, Alfred on the left side and Kiku and Feliciano on the right side.

"Are you two all right?" Alfred asked and Kiku and Feliciano nodded.

"That scared me!" Feliciano said and Alfred turned his attention to Kiku.

"Kiku? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay," he said.

"Good... But with these things in the way, I can't get over there. Maybe I can cut it down? Wait, what's this?" Alfred put his hands on the vines and his eyes widened, "These vines are made of stone! What to do..."

Feliciano turned to Kiku, "Hey, Kiku. You got a key in that room, right?"

"Yes, I did."

"Maybe that key opens that door there? We might find something to get rid of these in another room." He then turned his attention to Alfred. "Should we go look?"

"Well... I wonder if you'll be okay..."

"We'll be fine! Right, Kiku?"

"I think so," Kiku said and Feliciano smiled brightly.

"See, Kiku thinks we'll be fine!"

"Well, I guess it's worth a try... But if you don't find anything, make sure you come straight back, okay? Then We'll rethink about what we can do," Alfred said.

"Yeah, got it! Okay, let's go!" Feliciano exclaimed as he grabbed Kiku's hand and walked to the door. They went and investigated a few boxes.

"Is there anything useful in here? Ah!" Feliciano pulled out a palette knife out of one of the boxes.

"Maybe this can cute those vines?"

"Let's try it," Kiku said and Feliciano laughed.

"Ahaha! I was just kidding! You're not good with jokes, are you? But I think I'll hold onto this... You know, just in case."

They continued to search, but they didn't find anything useful.

"I don't really see anything useful. Should we just go back to Alfred for now?" Feliciano asked. Just then, the lights flickered and Feliciano gasped in fright, "That scared me..."

They went back to the door, only to find a statue blocking their way.

"Huh? The exit... When did that move? Wasn't it just against the wall? Move it, Kiku," Feliciano said. They moved toward the statue and tried to push it, but they weren't strong enough.

"No good, it won't even budge... What do we do? We can't get out."

"We can head through the other door," Kiku said, pointing at it.

"Not much else we can do. Let's go."

They went through and walked up the stairs. Kiku jumped when some words appeared on the wall.

_I want you to have fun, Kiku_

_Come to a fun world without any adults_

_We'll be together_

_You, me, and our friends_

They went into the room and saw a missing section of floor, a blinking painting on the wall, a blue triangle on the other side of the hole and a big blue rose on the ground.

"What should we do?" Feliciano asked and Kiku just shrugged.

"I wonder what Alfred's doing? We kind of left him behind..."

...Alfred's POV...

"They're taking their time. I wonder if something happened? Kiku! Feliciano! Can you hear me!?" He waited for a moment, but didn't get a response. "No good... I knew I shouldn't have let them go alone! What to do... I suppose I'll investigate that room again... As much as I hate to go back in there..."

He went back in the room, seeing what it was really filled with, a bunch of creepy looking dolls. He looked at the painting again and grimaced.

"No matter how I look at it this is NOT cute!" he said as he went to examine the bookcase on the right.

"Nothing of note here..." he said and he noticed something and moved the bookcase, revealing a hole in the wall. "Ah, it moved! Why didn't I notice that earlier? Oh well, I can go out this way."

He went in and came into a room with five ropes to pull, a triangle hole, and a big red rose on the ground. He saw writing on the wall and walked over to it.

_There is no exit._

_There is no reason_

He then walked to the ropes and pulled the fourth one from the right. But nothing happened, or so it seemed...

...Kiku's and Feliciano's POV...

The painting on the wall moved down. Kiku and Feliciano watched it, then walked over to it.

"Look, we can cross now!" Feliciano said and Kiku looked at the painting, which was just blinking.

"Is it okay to cross?" he asked and the painting stared at him for a moment before closing it's eyes.

"Guess so!" Feliciano said and they both crossed over. Kiku then moved the triangle and pushed it into the gaping hole. Then they went on, coming into a narrow hallway with a bunch of lights. They walked on.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Feliciano asked and Kiku looked at him.

"Sure."

"Is Alfred... Your dad?"

"Nope."

"So you dad is somebody else... I see. Is your mom nice, Kiku?"

"I don't have a mom. But both my parents are nice."

"Ah... That's good. You want to see your parents again soon, right? I want to get out soon too. Hey Kiku... Um... If only two of us could get out of here... then what?" Feliciano asked and Kiku stared at him before smiling sadly.

"If it could only be two... Then I'd surrender myself so you and Alfred could get out," he replied and Feliciano gasped in surprise.

"What? Really Kiku? But you'd never get to see either of your parents again! It would be really lonely... You know?"

"Yea... But I would rather it be me stuck here alone than you or Alfred."

"Don't say things like that! We'll leave together! Promise!" Feliciano exclaimed as he grabbed Kiku's hand. Kiku smiled softly.

"Okay," Kiku said as they entered the next room.

...Alfred's POV...

Alfred stepped away from the cord's when a blue triangle fell down from the ceiling. Thinking that the cord triggered it to fall, he moved it into the triangle hole. The door swung open and Alfred reluctantly walked over. He went down the hallway, reading the creepy messages next to the creepy doll as he went.

_Hello there, Alfred. I don't like being alone, take me with you!_

_Hey, why aren't you taking me?_

_Why are you ignoring me? Do you hate me?_

_Hey, play with me! I know lots of fun things we can do._

_I've got lots of friends, too. I'll introduce you!_

_Be here forever._

He soon made it to the door and the creepy doll was sitting in front of it.

"How long are you going to follow me? Enough of this! I'm busy here, and I'm not going to be your buddy!" He sighed and moved it out of the way. "It would be best not to get involved here."

Some letters appeared on the wall next to the doll and he went to read them.

_ E_

The door then unlocked and he went through, on to the next challenge they all faced.

* * *

Fair warning. The next chapter may be the longest and it will have a lot of POV changes.


	7. Chapter 7

They came into a room that was similar size to the others they had been in and it had four rooms. Red gas was covering one of the passageways near the entrance. To the east near the entrance, there was a seaside painting named Fisherman. Next to was a locked door. To the south was another door and Feliciano and Kiku went in. Inside that room was a bunch of mannequin heads and a painting called Lady Without Her Umbrella. Kiku and Feliciano walked straight to the mannequin head in front of them.

"What's it looking at?" Feliciano asked and Kiku shrugged.

"We should take it off the table," Kiku said and Feliciano looked surprise.

"Take it off? What if it breaks? And it's heavy..."

"It won't, if we are careful," Kiku said.

"O-Okay... If you're that sure, then I won't stop you..." Feliciano said. Kiku moved the mannequin head off the table and it changed so the mannequin head was now crying blood. It cracked the floor, making a red gas leak in through the crack. Kiku walked over to the other table and took the Tree Key from the table before going back out.

Further west, on the far end of the room, there was an unlocked door at the north. Feliciano and Kiku walked inside and found themselves inside a gray room, with a painting of a rainbow and a large area of the floor was missing.

"What's this place? There's no color!" Feliciano exclaimed and Kiku shrugged. They headed out and went to the door to the door below them. It was locked with a password.

"What's this? Can we put in a name?" Feliciano asked. The was a blue painting with white dots all over it and three options, Heavenly Thread, Worry, and Marvelous Night.

"It's Marvelous Night," Kiku said and the door unlocked. The walked in and saw that it was a library. The walked the the right bookshelf and saw a gap on the wall. Kiku noticed it was a keyhole and he used the Tree Key in it. Nothing noticeable happened and the walked out.

...Alfred's POV...

Alfred came into a room that was similar to the one Kiku was in. There was a locked door nearby, that has a cold feeling about it. To the north, there were two unlocked doors next to each other and a doll next to the left door. There was a message written by the doll.

_I'll always be with you... My home is just nearby._

Alfred went into the room and saw seven pedestals and a palette, as well as a message.

_Collect the seven balls of paint. Then the room will be colored and your bridge will be made._

"Balls of paint? I wonder where those are..." Alfred said before he walked out. He went inside the room on the right. He went to the west side of the room, since he was unable to get to the east side, and examined the bookshelves. A green ball of paint fell of one of the bookshelves and he picked it up.

"What's this? It's soft, but I feel like I could break it. Perhaps this is a ball of paint?" he said. Then it disappeared. "It vanished..."

He walked out and began to look around. There was a locked door in the northeast part of the room and a "Fishing Hook" painting. South from there was a painting of a figure juggling balls. He examine it, and a voice came from the painting.

"What year was I born?" It asked and Alfred thought about it.

"If I remember correctly, you were born in 6223," he said.

"C-o-r-r-e-c-t!" The voice exclaimed and a blue ball of paint appeared beside Alfred. He picked it up and it vanished like the green one had. He went through the door just south of him. The room was full of the red gas and Alfred found it hard to breathe in there. He walked to the right, a petal falling off his rose with each step he took, and got the umbrella before he walked out. He went to the vase he saw earlier and healed his rose before he went to the "Fishing Hook" painting. He put the umbrella on the fishing hook and it pulled the umbrella into the painting.

"There sure are a lot of inexplicable things going on here..." Alfred said dully before he went back down to the southwest corner of the room. He saw a yellow ball of paint and he picked up and watched it vanish.

...Kiku's POV...

Kiku walked back over to the Fisherman painting and noticed it was different. The Fisherman had a red umbrella.

"Hey, look Kiku! He caught something," Feliciano said and Kiku nodded. The umbrella fell out of the painting and Kiku picked it up. He remembered the Lady Without Her Umbrella painting and he went back to the room. He gave her the umbrella and it started to rain.

"Huh? It started to rain in the room," Feliciano said. Kiku just smiled and they both walked out of the room.

...Alfred's POV...

Alfred went back to the room of red gas. He noticed that the was water dripping into the vase at the end of the room now. He made his way down so he was beside the vase. He healed his rose then walked right to the cord. He pull it and the gas went away.

"Ah, that strange gas is gone," he said as he walked back to the vase and healed his rose again. He then took the purple ball of paint before he left the room. He headed to the library and noticed the doll had moved again. He read the message.

_Hey, what're you doing? I wanna play too..._

He then heard a sound inside the library and he walked in. He got the pink ball of paint now and then he looked through the bookshelves. He found a book about the paintings and read the last entry in the book.

_Feliciano (?)_

_The last work of Romulus' life. While the boy appears almost lifelike, naturally, he is not based on a real person._

Alfred looked at the picture of the painting and gasped in shock.

"W-Why? It can't be! That's Feliciano! He doesn't exist? What does that mean? And he's with Kiku right now... No way," Alfred said. He heard a knocking sound and he walked to the door. He saw a message on the wall and he read it.

_I HEARD FELICIANO'S SECRET~_

He walked out and went to the cold door. He saw the creepy doll and read the message next to it.

_I picked up something good. I'm making it my treasure!_

He picked up the doll and searched it, taking the red ball of paint. The doll the giggles and went through the cold door. Alfred followed it in and found himself in a room full of those creepy dolls. He walked up to the white ball of paint and took it.

"That's seven of them," Alfred said as he walked back to the door. He tried to leave, but the door was locked.

"What? No way... Why!?" He exclaimed loudly before writing appeared on the door.

_Let's have another treasure hunt... Who? Who? Who has the key?_

"What is... What? What now!? This is bad... Where is the key!?" Alfred screamed and then he saw something was coming out of the canvas on the wall. He panicked and began to examined many of the creepy dolls. When he finally found the one with the key, he ran back to the door and got out as quickly as he could. He ran back to the painting hook painting and took a rest.

"I've had enough of that room! Why did I have to deal with that!" He screamed angrily. Once he finally caught his breath and calmed down, he stood up straight. "But, thinking about it, Kiku might be in just as terrifying a situation. We've got to regroup soon!"

He noticed the door that was locked earlier was now opened. He went through it and saw stairs.

"Stairs... I've come this far, but now I'm wondering if I should keep going. But I'm not sure what good going back will do... Ugh, I'm so indecisive! I'm terrible, really! I need to just keep moving on, there's no other option!" he exclaimed as he ran up the stairs.

...Kiku's POV...

Kiku was walking to the gray room they were in earlier when he noticed Feliciano wasn't following him.

"Feliciano? Are you okay?" Kiku asked.

"Yes, I'm okay..." he said. Then he started to laugh in a creepy way and he ran back to the hallway. Kiku followed him and saw Feliciano was stabbing a mannequin head with the palette knife.

"In my way... In my way... In my way... In my WAY!" Feliciano screamed. Kiku began to feel scared and he ran out of the hallway. He heard Feliciano follow him.

"Kiku... Don't leave me..." he said sadly, which only made Kiku feel more afraid. He went to the gray room, which Feliciano didn't follow him in, and saw it was now full of color with a rainbow bridge. He walked across the bridge and got the key. He walked out and noticed Feliciano was no where to be found. He unlocked the door next to the Fisherman painting and went through. He was about to head down the stairs when Feliciano walked through the door, the palette knife in his hand.

"Where are you going, Kiku?" He asked.

"I was just..." Kiku trailed off then glanced down the staircase. Feliciano went on.

"Why are you going by yourself? We promised we'd be together. Right?" Feliciano took a step forward and another until Kiku was backed against the wall. "Why are you running?"

"Kiku!" Alfred yelled as he ran in front of Kiku. He then grabbed Feliciano's wrist. "What are you doing, Feliciano?"

"Shut up! If you had only just been good and waited there!" Feliciano screamed and Alfred glared at him.

"I knew it... You're..."

"Stay away!" Feliciano screamed and Alfred pushed him down. His head smacked agains the floor, knocking him unconscious. Kiku gasped in surprise.

"Kiku, are you okay? Sorry I'm late," Alfred said and Kiku hugged him tightly. "Whoa, K-Kiku... Sorry... It must have been scary, but it's okay now."

Kiku nodded and let go of him before looking at Feliciano. Alfred looked at him as well.

"You might not believe me, but Feliciano isn't human. He is one of Romulus' works, just like those painting women who came after us. I didn't spend enough time with him to really notice. It's dangerous to stay with him. Even if I had just been a little later there... You might feel a bit sorry for him, but we need to get away now."

"Yes, I understand," Kiku said. They walked around Feliciano and went out the door. The red gas was now gone, so they went through the exit where the red gas used to be. They came into a small room with a statue blocking the stairs.

"Looks like these stairs go down. Alright Kiku, step back," Alfred said and Kiku did as he was told. Alfred then move the statue over. "Just how many statues have I pushed today? Let's go Kiku."

"Yes," Kiku said as they headed down the stairs. They continued down the stairs and then went left when the pathway turned that way, dodging the things that flew at them. They then passed a sign that said sketchbook and the continued ahead. They came into an area that looked like a child drew it with crayons.

"Well, now this is a significant change in atmosphere... But nothing we can't handle. Let's go, Kiku."


	8. Chapter 8

They walked around for a bit, before coming to a house in the middle. They examined the wall when they noticed there was writing on it.

_The Pink Key is always kept in the toy box._

"The toy box? I guess there's a key there," Alfred said, "Let's find it Kiku!"

"Where should we look though?" Kiku asked and Alfred shrugged.

"We'll just check all the places until we find it."

They went to the center west side and into the upside-down house, and took the bucket from the closet. They were about to walk out when they heard someone walk in.

"Kiku, Alfred? Where are you?"

Alfred and Kiku retreated back as they heard footsteps, as if someone was walking around. When the person didn't find them, they left.

"Don't tell me that was... He's after us," Alfred said. They left the house and go to the northeast side. They saw what they assumed to be a pond and they filled the bucket up. They went to the southeast side and saw a small flower. They watered it and saw that it held a key. They took the key and went to the center south side, and unlock the gallery with the key. They went inside and saw a box.

"'Pandra's box' huh?" Alfred said as he opened the box. Some things flew out of the box and disappeared. "I wonder what all that was? Ah? There's something left in the box."

Kiku pulled out the mirror and looked at Alfred, "It's a mirror."

"A mirror? Well let's hope it's hope."

They left the Gallery and went to the northwest area, and saw the patch of light. There was also a building with an ice door.

"I have to say, we've come a long way, us two... I wonder when we'll get out, my feet are starting to get sore."

"My feet are getting sore too," Kiku said as he sighed a little bit. Alfred looked at him and smiled.

"Say, have you heard of macarons?" Alfred asked and Kiku shook his head. "Well, they're these pastries that are shaped like hamburgers. Just the other day, I had one at the cafe and it was so tasty! It was really, really good, even the cream wasn't to sweet! So, uh, if we get out of here, could we go together? No, wait, we will get out and we will go together. I promise!"

Kiku laughed and set the mirror down in the patch of sunlight and the heat melted the icy door.

"Ah, the ice melted... I see, you reflected the sunlight. Not too shabby," Alfred said and they both entered the building.

On the floor was a spiral of symbols and 8 buttons arranged in a square. Press the correct button for each symbol, from start to end of the spiral. They both pressed the buttons in the right sequence and a key appeared in the middle of the square. They picked it up and left the building. They went the the the north center area and unlocked the door with the key. They walked over to the toy box and looked in.

"This is the toy box? It's rather big. But at any rate, it said there was a key in there. I can't see the bottom, is there really a key in there?" Alfred wondered.

"Wanna see?" Kiku heard Feliciano say before they were shoved into the toy box.

...

When Kiku woke up, he realized that his rose was gone and Alfred wasn't with him. He looked around, finding his rose and then finding Alfred a little bit after that. Kiku kneeled down and shook him.

"Alfred, wake up," Kiku said and Alfred stirred.

"Ow, I hit my head..." Alfred mumbled as he opened his eyes. He stood up slowly and looked at Kiku. "Kiku, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Kiku said and Alfred smiled.

"That's good. At any rate, this place is full of scribbles. Is this the toy box?"

"I think so."

"Well, let's look for the key then."

After they found they key, all the objects started to move. They maneuver their way out and ran up the steps. They soon came out in a pink room with an exit to the south and vines to the north. They walked over to the vines.

"It's blocked. Is it telling us not to go up?"

"But we should. You have a lighter, why don't you burn them?" Kiku asked and Alfred pulled out his lighter.

"I suppose that'll worked," he said as he flicked the lighter and the flame came up. He put it near the vines and they watched the vines burn away.

"It worked! Let's go, Kiku."

They walked up and found themselves in another room with a painting of Feliciano. They walked toward it and heard footsteps running up the steps. Feliciano came in.

"Alfred Kiku? Your both okay?" Feliciano's face then changed to anger.

"How did you get in this room? Leave... Don't take another step! Leave right now! Now, now, NOW! LEAVE!" Feliciano screamed as he ran at them, Kiku and Alfred ran toward the painting and Alfred flicked the lighter on.

"There's no other option!"

"Don't do it!" Feliciano screamed but Alfred lit the painting and the glass shattered as it burned. When it was finished, Feliciano took a step back before he disintegrated.

"Well, the burned violently. Are you okay, it did shatter after all."

"Alfred, you're hand. It's cut," Kiku said.

"Hm, my hand? Oh, you're right, I cut it. I didn't even noticed, it must have just happened. Well, it's just minor."

"Are you really okay?"

"It's really nothing! I can just lick it to health! Well, let's get going!"

They left the building and went to the pink house in the center. They unlocked it, and went inside, finding themselves at the top of a staircase.

"Whoa it's dark. Watch you're step Kiku," Alfred said as they went down the stairs. They soon arrived into the museum where they started. They went upstairs to the huge painting.

"What's this big mural? Fabricated world? Hey, isn't that the former gallery? Does this mean if we jump into this we'll go back there? But how?" Alfred wondered. A flash of light came and the frame disappeared.

"The frame disappeared. Maybe now is our chance," Alfred said as he jumped through. "Yes I'm really in! Hurry up Kiku!"

Kiku was about to crawl through when he heard his name.

"Kiku what's wrong? Come on," Alfred said as Kiku took a step back. He watched as Yao walked into view and smiled at him

"Kiku! I finally found you! I was looking everywhere for you. Don't just go running off like that. Ivan's waiting for us, let's go."

"Kiku, what are you doing? Hurry up and come over," Alfred said and Yao took a step forward.

"How many times have I told you not to go with strangers?" Yao asked.

"It's not scary, okay? You'll be fine."

"Kiku, listen to me! Don't go with some stranger. Come with me."

"Kiku, I'll pull you over," Alfred said as he held out his hand, "Grab my hand."

"Kiku!" Yao shouted and Kiku grabbed Alfred's hand. Alfred smiled and pulled him over.

...

Kiku was standing in the gallery. He couldn't remember what he was doing. He walked around to find his parents, but instead found a blonde man standing in front of a rose statue. He walked over and tapped him. The man looked at him.

"Yes? Do you need something, little one?"

"What's this statue?" Kiku asked and the man looked back at it.

"It's called the embodiment of Spirit. When I look at this sculpture, I feel somehow sorrowful. I wonder why? Ah, I'm sorry if I said anything to trouble you. Nevermind what I said. Bye."

The man walked away and Kiku watched him go before looking at the sculpture. He felt sorrowful to. But why?

_Can't you remember Kiku? Or shall I turn back time for you? I suppose I can do that for you. Just don't make the same mistake again. I wish you luck, dear Kiku. Be sure to do the right things this time and try to remember what's hidden deep inside your heart..._


	9. Chapter 9

"It's blocked. Is it telling us not to go up?" Alfred said and Kiku looked around. Hadn't he done this before? Certainly not, right?

"But we should. You have a lighter, why don't you burn them?" Kiku asked without hesitation and Alfred pulled out his lighter.

"I suppose that'll worked," he said as he flicked the lighter and the flame came up. He put it near the vines and they watched the vines burn away.

"It worked! Let's go, Kiku."

They walked up and found themselves in another room with a painting of Feliciano. They walked toward it and heard footsteps running up the steps. Feliciano came in.

"Alfred Kiku? Your both okay?" Feliciano's face then changed to anger.

"How did you get in this room? Leave... Don't take another step! Leave right now! Now, now, NOW! LEAVE!" Feliciano screamed as he ran at them, Kiku and Alfred ran toward the painting and Alfred flicked the lighter on.

"There's no other option!"

"Don't do it!" Feliciano screamed but Alfred lit the painting and the glass shattered as it burned. When it was finished, Feliciano took a step back before he disintegrated.

"Well, the burned violently. Are you okay, it did shatter after all."

"Alfred, you're hand. It's cut," Kiku said.

"Hm, my hand? Oh, you're right, I cut it. I didn't even noticed, it must have just happened. Well, it's just minor," Alfred said. Kiku was about to ask if he was sure, but then he remembered his handkerchief. He pulled it out of his pocket.

"Here," Kiku said as he gave Alfred his handkerchief

"A handkerchief? Is it really okay if I use it?" Alfred asked and Kiku nodded and pressed it against Alfred's cut. "Isn't this real lace? I don't particularly want to tarnish it. Oh well. Thanks Kiku. Well, let's get going!"

They left the building and went to the pink house in the center. They unlocked it, and went inside, finding themselves at the top of a staircase.

"Whoa it's dark. Watch you're step Kiku," Alfred said as they went down the stairs. They soon arrived into the museum where they started. They went upstairs to the huge painting.

"What's this big mural? Fabricated world? Hey, isn't that the former gallery? Does this mean if we jump into this we'll go back there? But how?" Alfred wondered. A flash of light came and the frame disappeared.

"The frame disappeared. Maybe now is our chance," Alfred said as he jumped through. "Yes I'm really in! Hurry up Kiku!"

Kiku was about to crawl through when he heard his name.

"Kiku what's wrong? Come on," Alfred said as Kiku took a step back. He watched as Yao walked into view and smiled at him

"Kiku! I finally found you! I was looking everywhere for you. Don't just go running off like that. Ivan's waiting for us, let's go."

"Kiku, what are you doing? Hurry up and come over," Alfred said and Yao took a step forward.

"How many times have I told you not to go with strangers?" Yao asked.

"It's not scary, okay? You'll be fine."

"Kiku, listen to me! Don't go with some stranger. Come with me."

"Kiku, I'll pull you over," Alfred said as he held out his hand, "Grab my hand."

"Kiku!" Yao shouted and Kiku grabbed Alfred's hand. Alfred smiled and pulled him over.

...

Kiku was standing in the gallery. He couldn't remember what he was doing. He felt like he had done this before, by why? He walked around to find his parents, but instead found a blonde man standing in front of a rose statue. He's seen this before, this scene exactly. But where and why? He walked over and tapped him. The man looked at him.

"Yes? Do you need something, little one?"

"What's this statue?" Kiku asked and the man looked back at it.

"It's called the embodiment of Spirit. When I look at this sculpture, I feel somehow sorrowful. I wonder why? Ah, I'm sorry if I said anything to trouble you, Kiku. Wait, what?" The man look startled. "Who's Kiku."

"Ah, well.. My name is Kiku," Kiku said and the man look startled.

"What? That's your name? Your name is really Kiku?" he asked and Kiku nodded.

"That's the strangest thing... I mean I don't know you at all. It just kind of came out... How odd. But, actually... Have we, perhaps, met somewhere before?" Alfred asked and Kiku shrugged. Alfred looked away.

"My, look at me, asking you such strange things. Nevermind what I said. Well, bye," Alfred said before walking away. He put his hand in his coat pocket and stopped. He pulled out a handkerchief.

"What's this? A handkerchief? When did I get this?" Alfred asked and Kiku walked over.

"I think it's mine... I mean it looks like mine," Kiku said and Alfred looked at him.

"It's yours?" He looked at it and saw Kiku's name on it. "It's true. It has Kiku on it. But why was it in my pocket? Plus there's blood on it..."

Alfred suddenly remembered when he cut his hand and Kiku gave it to him.

"I was... I was wounded on the hand... And a boy... A boy gave me his handkerchief... Yes, this handkerchief was given to me as a gift. It was a gift... From Kiku," Alfred said and Kiku gave him a confused look.

"Kiku, I remember now! We were together back there! How could I have forgotten? It was so important! Kiku... Do you remember?"

Kiku was about to say no, but then his memories all came back at once. How he and Alfred had went through the gallery together and met up with Feliciano. He remembered all of it! He smiled and nodded.

"Yes, I do remember, Alfred."

"Oh thank goodness! It's hard to believe, even now. But it must have happened. Kiku, we got back safely! We did it! There's so much more I want to talk about, but I've got to get going..."

Kiku's eyes saddened and Alfred looked at the handkerchief.

"Hey Kiku? Is it all right if I keep this handkerchief a while longer? It wouldn't do to return as it is... I need to clean it and then give it back," Alfred said and Kiku smiled.

"Yes, go ahead. Because we will see each other again!"


End file.
